Silver filled single-wall carbon nanotubes - synthesis, structural and electronic properties

In our study we use methodology based on a wet chemistry process to fill single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) with silver nanowires. The novelty of the study comes from long continuous silver nanowires incorporated in a SWCNT with a mean diameter of 1.22 nm. Using high resolution transmission electron microscopy and electron diffraction we evidence the formation of 100 - 250 nm long silver wires within SWCNTs. The electronic structure of Ag-SWCNTs is presented in comparison to the corresponding reference purified SWCNTs using electron energy-loss spectroscopy in transmission. The structural changes and the variation of the electronic properties are analysed with electron diffraction and the core-level excitations.